By Gudrun Schultz
OTTAWA, April 13, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A coalition of 12 Canadian pro-family organizations has sent a joint letter to Canadian religious leaders urging them to mobilize their congregations to ensure the upcoming vote to re-open the marriage debate is successful.
The Coalition notes that Prime Minister Harper stated during the recent election that he would re-visit the same-sex marriage issue in Parliament and that he stated after the January election this would happen “sooner, rather than later”.
“This vote will also be extremely crucial,” says Defend Marriage, “for religious organizations in Canada, because, contrary to the former Liberal government’s assertions, religious groups will inevitably be subject to legal challenges if the legal definition of marriage remains unchanged and continues to include same-sex partners”.
The delay so far in calling the vote is seen by the Coalition as “a window of opportunity to ensure a winning vote in support of traditional marriage” but the group emphasizes that “this will only occur if we are able to effectively marshal articulate voices in defense of children, families, and religious freedom”.
The letter goes on to explain and illustrate the specific threats to religious freedom posed by the current situation and warns “the same-sex marriage legislation has created serious problems which warrant our deepest concern.”
Defend Marriage emphasizes, “The initial vote will be, as the Prime Minister has promised, on a motion to re-open the issue in Parliament. We must win that initial vote. Only then will the issue advance to a next stage which will be the Prime Minister calling for a vote on the actual definition of marriage”.
The religious leaders are given three specific action items to undertake to influence parliamentarians and the public to bring about passage of the initial vote to re-open debate and a subsequent vote to restore the traditional definition of marriage.
The letter was sent to 363 Catholic Bishops, religious leaders listed in the Yearbook of Canadian churches, Jewish synagogues and Bahai leaders and will soon also be sent to Muslim and Hindu leaders.
The members of the Defend Marriage Coalition who have signed onto the letter are:
REAL Women of Canada
Catholic Civil Rights League
Campaign Life Coaliton
Canada Family Action Coalition
Equipping Christians for the Public-square Centre
Enshrine Marriage Canada
United Families Canada
United Mothers and Fathers
Preserve Marriage-Protect Children’s Rights
(Préserver le Mariage-Protégeons les droits des enfants)
Association des parents catholiques du Québec
Equité-Famille
Mariage Canada
The Coalition is encouraging wide distribution of the letter to pastors across the country in addition to the leaders already contacted.
See the complete letter at:
English version
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/images/2006/defmareng.pdf
French Version
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/images/2006/defmarfren.pdf